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Father Michael Yeung Ming-cheung, the vicar general of the Hong Kong Church, said: "He asked me patiently, 'Why is this so?', which is a reasonable questions to ask, given the good relationship [Mr Li] has with the Church.

"Then he said his support and donations to the church would go on, and I thanked him. And that was all."

The diocese then issued a statement expressing"its regret for the displeasure caused to Mr Li Ka-shing by the 'devil' comments".

Fr Law has also stood by his remarks, which he said were in the context of rising public anger at Hong Kong's wealth gap. Mr Li amassed a vast fortune after arriving in the former British colony as a penniless immigrant and is popularly known as Superman Li, a tribute to his money-making skills in the hub of Asian capitalism.

Speaking to the South China Morning Post, he said: "My deepest sadness is the feeling of betrayal. My comments were made as part of a casual chat. As a citizen, why can't I make comments which are in accordance with the church's teaching?"

He rebuke the diocese for distancing themselves from the remarks. He said: "I regret how other people have expressed regret on my behalf. Why not give me an opportunity to give my account? Why should someone unrelated claim responsibility? This is something I really don't understand.

"It was not personal. I was only using the Mr Li as an illustration. I condemn the sin, rather than the person."